Pool Report on the Foul called on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 2.1 seconds remaining in Tonight’s Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks Game  

May 18, 2024

The Pool Report interview was conducted by Tim MacMahon (ESPN) with Crew Chief Tony Brothers following tonight’s Thunder vs. Mavericks game.     

QUESTION:  Why was a foul called on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on last sequence after contact was made with the ball first and what did you see on the review that would suggest otherwise?

BROTHERS:   During the review we saw that Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) initially starts on the ball, but then he slides off of it and clearly makes illegal contact with (P.J.) Washington’s arm while he still has control of the ball and is in the act of shooting. Since the ball was not dislodged by the contact, the ensuing contact to the arm is illegal. Had the ball been dislodged when Shai hit it, the contact afterwards would have been deemed marginal, which did not happen here.